Brazilian prospect Jessica “Bate Estaca” Andrade scored the biggest win of her MMA career on Oct. 26 at “UFC Fight Night 30: Machida vs. Munoz” in Manchester, England. The 22-year-old put on her best performance to date and spoiled the homecoming of British veteran Rosi “The Surgeon” Sexton in a featured bantamweight bout on the card.

Andrade (10-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) was in complete control of the fight from start to finish. She rocked Sexton (13-4 MMA, 0-2 UFC) with punches right away and Sexton began to bleed from the nose as Andrade landed more strikes in the opening minutes. Sexton landed some nice kicks in the middle of the round, but Andrade countered with quick punches and secured a takedown into side control. She dropped Sexton with a right hand late in Round 1 and landed a knee that may have illegally struck a downed Sexton in the head just as the bell sounded.

The middle stanza was even more lopsided in Andrade’s favor. She hurt Sexton once more with punches and stunned her again soon after with a counter combination and a knee. Andrade teed off with punches and body kicks, but Sexton somehow stayed on her feet against the cage and even scored a takedown late in the round.

Sexton tried to take the fight to the ground in Round 3, but Andrade had none of it. She stuffed Sexton’s takedown attempts and continued to punish her with more punches and body kicks. The fight appeared to be on the verge of being stopped on multiple occasions, but Sexton persevered and made it to the final bell. However, Andrade’s commanding performance left no doubt in the judges’ minds and the Brazilian walked away with a lopsided unanimous decision victory. Scores were 30-27 and 30-26 twice.

Andrade has only been competing professionally for a little more than two years, but her extremely active fighting schedule has allowed her to develop her skills at a rapid rate. Despite suffering a setback in her UFC debut against Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche in July, Andrade has won eight of her past 10 fights. She has only gone the distance three times as a pro.

Sexton, a former top-ranked fighter at 125 pounds, remains in search of her first UFC victory since joining the promotion’s newly-formed women’s bantamweight division earlier this year. She dropped a competitive decision to top contender Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis in June.

South Korean star Seo Hee Ham retained her Deep Jewels featherweight (48-kilogram/106-pound) championship with an impressive victory on Monday afternoon at Deep Jewels 2 in Tokyo. Ham held off the charge of top contender Sadae “Manhoef” Numata and picked up a three-round unanimous decision win to remain the first and only Deep Jewels champion.

Ham (12-5) walked Numata (5-2-1) down with punches early in the fight and she took her elder Japanese foe to the mat after catching a body kick. Ham flurried with punches from the top and took Numata’s back, but Numata scrambled up and dropped down for a kneebar. Ham landed more ground and pound and she landed quick punches and a head kick after the fight returned to the feet. Ham slipped late in Round 1, but stood up and secured a takedown before the bell.

In Round 2, Ham backed Numata up with powerful body kicks and pinned her in a corner. She unloaded with punches and took Numata down to the ground. Ham attempted an inverted triangle choke and an armbar, but Numata escaped and she took Ham’s back. Numata trapped Ham in a body triangle and landed some of her best strikes of the fight. Both women attempted toe holds in the final minute and Ham kicked at Numata’s ribs.

Numata looked to press the action early in Round 3, but Ham stopped her forward momentum with crisp counterpunches. Numata caught a kick and took Ham down into back control, where she worked for a rear-naked choke. Ham escaped and she defended against more choke attempts from Numata as time ticked down. Ham spun into Numata’s guard and the fatigued fighters were stood up. Both landed looping hooks before time expired.

Ham’s dominance on the feet left a lasting impression with the judges and all three scored the title fight in her favor. She has won nine of her past 11 fights and remains unbeaten since dropping back down to the 48-kilogram division earlier this year.

Monday’s Deep Jewels 2 card was headlined by a pair of semifinal fights in the inaugural Deep Jewels lightweight title tournament. In the main event, Emi Tomimatsu avenged a prior loss and earned a big victory by upsetting promotional star Mika “Future Princess” Nagano. Tomimatsu previously dropped a razor-thin decision to Nagano when the pair first faced off in March.

In Monday’s rematch, Tomimatsu (6-7) rocked Nagano (14-9) early on with a one-two combination and she followed with a hard right hook. Nagano remained on her feet, but Tomimatsu continued to get the better of the striking exchanges as the round progressed. Nagano stuffed Tomimatsu’s takedown attempts, but Tomimatsu landed another big one-two.

Tomimatsu landed punches in close at the beginning of Round 2 and she took Nagano down soon after. From the top, Tomimatsu scored with hard shots to the head and body. Nagano scrambled and attempted a kimura, but Tomimatsu escaped and took her back. She tried for a rear-naked choke and transitioned to a triangle choke late in the fight. After two rounds, the judges awarded Tomimatsu with a well-earned unanimous decision win.

In the second tournament semifinal, teen prodigy Mizuki Inoue (7-1) earned her second win over long-time contender Emi “Kamikaze Angel” Fujino (13-7). Inoue previously bested Fujino in a July 2010 kickboxing match for the J-Girls promotion.

Inoue backed Fujino up with punches early on in the rematch, but Fujino regained her composure and rushed forward with a combination of her own. Inoue countered with a front kick to the face and she darted in and out with quick punches to the head and body. Fujino was a step behind in the striking exchanges, but she took advantage of a late slip from Inoue by entering her opponent’s guard. Inoue tried for an armbar in the final minute.

In Round 2, Fujino threw a big flurry of punches early on. Inoue covered up and countered effectively with powerful hooks. Fujino, likely sensing that she was down on the scorecards, remained very aggressive and she continued to press the action with punches. Inoue clinched and scored with a series of short uppercuts. She rocked Fujino with a right hook and the fighters traded hard shots to conclude the entertaining fight. In the end, Inoue walked away with a unanimous decision victory, and the 19-year-old has now won five straight fights.

Tomimatsu and Inoue will face off next year to determine the first Jewels lightweight (52-kilogram/114-pound) champion. The championship final will likely take place at Deep Jewels 3, which is targeted for February.

Former Jewels featherweight queen champion Naho “Sugi Rock” Sugiyama put an end to a three-fight losing skid with a lopsided win on the Deep Jewels 2 preliminary card. Sugiyama defeated 41-fight veteran Masako Yoshida via unanimous decision in what was arguably her most impressive performance since she won the Jewels title in late 2011.

Sugiyama (9-3) tripped Yoshida (17-19-5) early in the fight and scored with some vicious ground and pound from the top. Yoshida tried to buck and escape, but Sugiyama kept her pinned down and blasted her with more punches. The round ended with an exchange of strikes on the feet.

In the second round, Sugiyama countered a one-two from Yoshida with a nice right hook. Yoshida pulled guard, but she was unable to do anything with the position. Late in the round, the fighters exchanged punches and Sugiyama floored Yoshida with a right hand. Yoshida barely maintained consciousness and she held on until the final bell. The decision was an easy one for the judges, who awarded Sugiyama with her ninth career win.

Veteran journeywoman Yukiko Seki (12-23) took a dominant unanimous decision victory over the returning Madoka Ebihara (4-4) in another featured 106-pound bout on the card. The fighters brawled throughout the opening round and both landed some hard shots in the wild exchanges, but Seki scored with the more damaging strikes.

Ebihara slowed down in Round 2 and clinched on numerous occasions. She was given a yellow card for stalling. Seki closed out the fight with some solid ground and pound and cruised to victory on the scorecards. She has won seven of her past 11 fights.

Sachiko Fujimori (2-0) kept her unblemished pro record intact with a contentious split decision win over fellow prospect Megumi Sugimoto (1-1). Fujimori had considerable success with her striking early in the fight, but Sugimoto took her down repeatedly. Fujimori was active from her back and tried for an armbar, but Sugimoto escaped and she controlled the ground battles for the remainder of the fight. In spite of this, two judges still favored Fujimori’s superior striking and they awarded her with the victory.

In the final MMA bout on the card, Tamaki Usui (1-0) kicked off her pro career with a unanimous decision victory over Naomi Taniyama (0-2). Usui was effective with knees to the body in both rounds and she threatened with a series of submission attempts on the mat. She tried for an armbar and a rear-naked choke late in the bout, but Taniyama defended well and the fight ended in a clinch. The ringside judges were united and awarded Usui with the win.

Rounding out the Deep Jewels 2 card, Ayaka Miura narrowly defeated former Jewels contender Asami Kodera in a two-round grappling match. Miura escaped an armbar in Round 1 and she nearly finished the match with an arm-triangle choke. Kodera worked for more armbars in Round 2, but Miura maintained top position and prevailed via split decision.

On Wednesday night, the UFC showcased its latest event from Fort Campbell in Hopkinsville, Ky. “UFC Fight Night 31: Fight for the Troops 3″ featured a pair of women’s bantamweight bouts including a potential title contender’s fight that saw Alexis “Ally-Gator” Davis prevail over former championship challenger Liz “Girl-Rilla” Carmouche.

Davis (15-5 MMA, 2-0 UFC) is one of the most talented grapplers in the 135-pound women’s division, but it was her underrated striking skills that propelled her to victory on Wednesday. The fighters traded one-twos and leg kicks early in the co-main event fight and it was clear that Davis’ strikes had more power behind them. Carmouche (9-4 MMA, 1-2 UFC) began to favor her right leg as Davis punished it with a series of kicks.

Carmouche cut Davis with a lead right hook in the second round, but Davis seemed to be fueled by the blood streaming down her face and she walked Carmouche down with more punches and leg kicks. Carmouche limped and stayed on the outside to try to limit the damage from Davis’ kicks. Davis secured a takedown into side control in the final minute.

In Round 3, both women landed knees to the body and Carmouche fought off a takedown attempt. Davis continued to press the action with punches, kicks and knees, and she kept Carmouche on the defensive until the final bell. Scores were 29-28 and 30-27 twice for Davis, who took a well-deserved unanimous decision victory. The Canadian standout has won four straight fights and she could be one win away from a UFC title shot.

Nunes initiated a clinch against the cage in the opening minute and she worked hard to get the fight to the ground. De Randamie defended well, but Nunes eventually got her down and wasted no time in passing straight to mount. From the top, Nunes rained down punches and elbows and prevented de Randamie from bucking to escape.

De Randamie blocked many of Nunes’ strikes during the next two minutes, but Nunes landed some solid elbows as referee Herb Dean kept a close eye on the action. De Randamie could not escape from under Nunes and the bout was finally waved off following a final salvo of elbows from the Brazilian. The official time of Nunes’ TKO victory came at the 3:56 mark of Round 1.

Nunes remains undefeated inside the Octagon, and her performances in her two UFC fights to date have arguably been the best of her career.

“TUF 18″ semifinals begin, Team Tate takes 5-4 lead

Led by rival coaches “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey and Miesha “Cupcake” Tate, the opposing teams on season 18 of “The Ultimate Fighter” were deadlocked leading into the semifinal round on Wednesday. The quarterfinals concluded this past week, though only one of two planned fights proceeded as scheduled.

In what was intended to be the last of four men’s quarterfinals, Team Rousey fighter Anthony “Sharkbait” Gutierrez instead received a bye to the next round when opponent Cody Bollinger failed to make the 135-pound bantamweight limit. Gutierrez was given the option to face a last-minute replacement opponent, but he opted against cutting weight for a second time and instead accepted a place in the semifinals. Bollinger was exiled from the show.

When the drama subsided, Team Tate’s Sarah “Cheesecake” Moras and Team Rousey’s Peggy “The Daywalker” Morgan faced off in the fourth women’s quarterfinal. Early on, Moras countered jabs from her much taller opponent by targeting Morgan’s legs with kicks. Morgan stuffed a takedown and she landed a nice knee and a left hand.

Moras eventually got the fight to the mat, where she was able to showcase her superior grappling skills. Morgan did her best to prevent Moras from passing to mount, but Moras got there and she made Morgan pay with some devastating punches and elbows from the top. Morgan held on and tried to scramble free, but Moras spun into an armbar on her left arm and Morgan was forced to submit at the 4:39 mark of Round 1.

Moras’ victory once again evened the team scores at 4-4, but teamwork will be put to the test in the semifinal round when allies are forced to face each other in two of the four fights.

The semifinals began this week with a bout between Team Tate’s Chris Holdsworth and Team Rousey’s Michael Wootten. Holdsworth scored a takedown early in the brief bout and he threatened with a brabo choke and an anaconda choke on the ground. Wootten escaped to his feet, but Holdsworth jumped into the koala position and transitioned to back control. He locked on a standing rear-naked choke and Wootten tapped out at the 3:12 mark of Round 1.

In next week’s semifinal fight, Moras is set to face off against fellow Team Tate fighter Julianna “The Venezuelan Vixen” Pena in a rematch from April 2012. Moras won the first fight via doctor stoppage after two rounds. Pena fought part of the fight with a broken arm after Moras snapped it with an armbar. Pena’s close friendship with her “TUF” coach, Tate, has caused a rift with her teammates who have felt that she has received special treatment on the show. The winner of the Moras-Pena rematch moves on to the The Ultimate Fighter 18 Finale on Nov. 30.

Leading Australian MMA promotion FightWorld Cup has announced four female fights for its upcoming event on Nov. 16 in Nerang, Queensland. FightWorld Cup 16 includes a women’s bantamweight title bout between Jessy Rose “Jessy Jess” Clark and Kyra Purcell, as well as a women’s strawweight title fight between Claire Fryer and Melanie Malone.

Clark (2-0) has finished both of her professional opponents to date. She scored a third-round TKO win in her December pro debut and most recently posted a second-round submission victory over Arlene “Angerfist” Blencowe in July. Her opponent, Purcell (1-1), made her pro debut against Invicta FC veteran Fiona Muxlow in August 2009 and dropped a close decision. She returned to MMA in April and earned her first pro win by submitting Blencowe in Round 2.

Fryer (3-1) has long been seen as one of Australia’s premier female strawweights. She began her pro career for Rize in 2009 and won two of her three fights for the promotion. Following a lengthy hiatus, Fryer returned to action on the all-female Brace For War 17 card in October 2012 and steamrolled Japanese veteran Rina Tomita. Malone (1-1) turned pro one year ago with a submission win over teen prospect Kaela Banney, but she dropped a unanimous decision to the 16-year-old in the pair’s April rematch.

“Little” Patricia Vidonic (9-6) def. “V.V” Mei Yamaguchi (11-6-1) via split decision at Pacific Xtreme Combat 40 on Oct. 25 in Mangilao, Guam. Yamaguchi got off to a strong start and she fared well in the early striking exchanges. However, she began to tire by Round 2 and Vidonic took advantage with takedowns and a series of submission attempts. Vidonic got the better of the striking in the final round, but Yamaguchi rallied late with a takedown. Vidonic remained active with submission attempts from her back and took a very close win on the scorecards.

Rachael “The Panther” Cummins (2-1) def. Michele “Diablita” Gutierrez (3-5) via submission (armbar) at the 32-second mark of Round 1 at “BAMMA USA: Badbeat 11″ on Oct. 25 in Commerce, Calif. After encountering mixed success as an amateur, Cummins has performed well since transitioning to the professional ranks in March. She dropped a narrow decision to current Invicta FC fighter Norma Rueda Center in her pro debut, but has since scored back-to-back submission wins. Gutierrez has now dropped four straight fights.

Livia Renata “Livinha” Souza (4-0) def. Aline Sattelmayer (3-4) via unanimous decision at “Talent MMA Circuit 4: Etapa Itatiba” on Oct. 26 in Itatiba, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Souza earned her second victory over Sattelmayer in the bout, but she had to fight for three full rounds for the first time in her career. All three of Souza’s prior wins had come via submission.

Beatriz Zambonini (1-1) def. Daniela “Dani Pequena” Rocha (1-2) via TKO (leg kicks) at the 4:33 mark of Round 1 at Rio Fight Championship 4 on Oct. 26 in Rio Verde, Goias, Brazil. Zambonini methodically wore Rocha down with strikes throughout the fight. She landed two final leg kicks and Rocha collapsed to the mat, prompting the referee to stop the bout.

Rebecca “The Professor” Heintzman (1-0) def. Allison Haynes (0-1) via submission (rear-naked choke) at the 1:44 mark of Round 2 at “Cage Fury Fighting Championships 28: Brenneman vs. Baker” on Oct. 26 in Atlantic City, N.J. Heintzman remains undefeated in seven pro and amateur fights. The 27-year-old New Yorker is one of the top strawweight prospects in the United States.

Lynnell House (1-0) def. Shannon Ludlow (0-1) via TKO (punches) at the 4:17 mark of Round 1 at “Provincial Fighting Championships 1: Unrivaled” on Oct. 26 in London, Ontario, Canada. House made a successful pro debut with the one-sided win and she returns to action later this month.

On the same Provincial FC 1 card, Randa Markos Thomas (3-0) def. Kara Kirsh (1-1) via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28). Markos Thomas nearly finished the fight with brutal ground and pound in the first round, but Kirsh held on and attempted numerous submissions in Round 2. Markos Thomas sealed her victory on the scorecards with a solid performance in the final round, which ended with both women trading huge punches at the bell.

Mariah Prussia (1-0) def. Harleigh Davis (0-2) via submission (punches) at the 3:10 mark of Round 2 at Max Fights 18 on Oct. 26 in Fargo, N.D. Prussia made a successful pro debut in the fight. Davis has suffered stoppage losses in both of her bouts to date.

Alida Gray (3-0) def. Soannia Tiem (1-1) via KO (punch) at the five-second mark of Round 3 at “24/7 Entertainment 12: State of Emergency” on Oct. 26 in Odessa, Texas. Tiem got off to an excellent start in the fight and she threatened with rear-naked chokes in each of the first two rounds. Gray scored with a hard combination in Round 2 and finished the round on top. At the beginning of Round 3, Gray landed a massive right hook that sent an unconscious Tiem crashing to the canvas. Gray has finished all three of her pro opponents this year.

Tomo Maesawa (1-3) def. Hyo Kyung Song (0-4) via submission (armbar) in Round 1 at Gladiator 64 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan. Maesawa earned her first pro win in the fight. Both women previously competed against some of the top talent on the Jewels roster.

On the same Bitetti Combat 18 card, Priscila de Souza (1-0) def. Ilara Joanne (0-2) via submission (armbar) in Round 2. De Souza stepped into the fight on short notice and scored her first professional victory.

Sharice Davids (1-0) def. Nadia “Knuckles” Nixon (0-1) via submission (triangle choke) at the 2:08 mark of Round 1 at “Shamrock Promotions: Conquest” on Nov. 1 in Kansas City, Mo. Davis followed up on a stellar 5-1 run as an amateur with the slick submission victory.

Amy “Lil’ Dynamite” Davis (4-4) def. Thea Wolfe (1-1) via submission (armbar) at the 44-second mark of Round 3 at Cage Warrior Combat 9 on Nov. 2 in Kent, Wash. Davis got back on track with the win after suffering a pair of stoppage losses under the Invicta FC banner. She has finished her opponents in each of her past three wins.

Alexandra Buch (8-2) faces Maria Hougaard Djursaa (4-4) at European MMA 7 on Nov. 7 in Aarhus, Denmark. Buch has won three straight fights and she most recently won the one-night No Compromises FC women’s featherweight tournament. Djursaa looks for her third straight victory in the fight. She scored a TKO win over Jorina Baars at European MMA 5 in April.

Izabela Badurek (2-2) faces Weronika Zygmunt (0-0) at Thunderstrike Fight League 1 on Nov. 8 in Lublin, Poland. Badurek looks to rebound from a decision loss in August. She had previously earned back-to-back submission wins. Zygmunt competes as a pro for the first time.

Gina “Conviction” Iniong (1-1) faces Nathalie Heidel (0-0) at Pacific Xtreme Combat 41 on Nov. 9 in Pasig, Philippines. Iniong returns to MMA for the first time in more than three years and competes in front of hometown supporters. France’s Heidel makes her pro MMA debut.

Karla Benitez (10-4) faces Tina Lahdemaki (4-0) at “Cage 24: Turku 3″ on Nov. 9 in Turku, Finland. Both fighters have earned two wins apiece this year. Benitez most recently defeated Rute Frias in May and she will compete again one week after this fight. Finland’s Lahdemaki is 2-0 under the Cage banner and she is coming off of a submission win in September.

Lena Tkhorevska (2-0) faces Iman Darabi (0-0) at MMA Fighters Club on Nov. 9 in Inowroclaw, Poland. Tkhorevska has earned first-round stoppage wins in both of her pro fights this year. Sweden’s Darabi makes her pro debut following a brief stint as an amateur.

Chloe Hinchliffe (1-3) faces Gemma Hewitt (0-0) at Shock n Awe 15 on Nov. 9 in Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. Hinchliffe has not fought since she suffered a TKO defeat one year ago. She looks to get back on the winning track against Hewitt, who makes her pro debut.

Aline Sattelmayer (3-4) faces Bruna Wing (0-0) at Brazil Combate 2 on Nov. 10 in Americana, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Sattelmayer has remained very active this year, but she has won just one of five fights thus far in 2013. Wing competes as a professional for the first time.

On the same Brazil Combate 2 card, Roberta Marreta (0-0) faces Daiane Firmino (0-0). Both fighters make their pro debuts in the featherweight fight.

Marion Reneau (2-0) faces Jennifer Anderson (0-0) at “Tachi Palace Fights 17: Fall Brawl” on Nov. 14 in Lemoore, Calif. Reneau has knocked out both of her professional opponents to date. Her most recent bout lasted just 10 seconds. Anderson makes her pro debut in the fight.

Lynnell House (1-0) faces Sarah McRann (1-0) at “King of the Cage: Out Cold” on Nov. 15 in Cold Lake, Alberta, Canada. House is coming off of a TKO victory this past month. She defeated McRann when the pair first faced off as amateurs in November 2012. McRann turned pro in July and scored a first-round TKO victory in a bout in which both fighters badly missed weight.

Chrissie “The Demon” Daniels (0-0) faces Jen “Tink” Aniano (0-0) at “Total Warrior Combat 20: Final Cut” on Nov. 16 in Lansing, Mich. Both fighters make their long-awaited pro debuts following lengthy amateur careers that included multiple title reigns. Daniels amassed a 6-4 amateur record and she knocked out Aniano in the pair’s first fight in February 2012. Aniano went 7-8-1 as an amateur and she is coming off of a decision victory in April.

Christine Stanley (1-1) faces Rebecca Jones (0-2) at “Xplode Fight Series: Feast or Famine” on Nov. 16 in Valley Center, Calif. Stanley, a training partner of UFC fighter Liz Carmouche, opened her pro career with a 29-second TKO win in April 2012. She now looks to rebound from a submission setback at RFA 9 in August. Jones remains in search of her first pro win.

One week after she competes in Finland, Karla Benitez (10-4) faces Rita Marreno (0-0) at “Hombres de Honor: Fight Contender – Women’s Edition” on Nov. 16 in Telde, Las Palmas, Spain. Marreno makes her pro debut against the much more experienced Benitez.

On the same Hombres de Honor card, Esther Cardenas (0-1) faces Minerva Montero (0-0). Cardenas suffered a decision loss in her pro debut this past month. Montero competes as a professional for the first time on the card.

Satomi Takano (2-2) faces Miyoko Kusaka (4-6-1) at “Deep: Toyama Impact – Rookies 3″ on Nov. 17 in Toyama, Japan. Takano was once one of the top prospects on the Jewels roster. She now looks to get back on track after dropping decisions to former Valkyrie champion Yasuko Tamada and veteran Masako Yoshida. Kusaka is also a former Jewels contender who has recently experienced a tough winless streak. However, she returned to the win column in August when she upset Fukuko Hamada at Deep Jewels 1.

MMAjunkie.com publishes the Women’s MMA Report every few weeks. Its author, Robert Sargent, is a veteran MMA journalist who also runs MMARising.com. Feel free to email us at news [AT] mmajunkie.com with any questions, news tips or suggestions.

As the UFC 189 tour made its last stop in Dublin, featherweight champ Jose Aldo was met with a torrent of abuse from the Irish fans. It might have been unpleasant, but it might also have been just what he needed.